Parque Niños Unidos is jumping this weekend with Mission Family Healthy Days. Oodles of fun pump up this free event! Activities include juggling, a bike clinic, Spanish song and dance, comic collage, and more. Saturday kicks off with a cooking class for kids at 11am. Slanted Door and La Parilla Grill are donating healthy snacks for Saturday’s lunch. Roar in Sunday morning with animal poses in the 11am yoga class. Watch Leonard Kassapides’ shadow theater production of “The Metamorphosis of Karaghiozis” with live music at 1pm Sunday.
Thanks to a First 5 grant, Mission Parents have been able to offer more than a dozen cooking and gardening classes at Parque Niños Unidos. They are hosting this two-day all-day event in order to reach more families. Volunteer Kate Pavao says Mission Family Healthy Days is “completely organized by volunteers, who wrote our grant, designed our flyer, purchased jump ropes, and offered to help out with our cooking classes. Of course, there’s always room for more volunteers!” Interested? Call 415-902-1934.
Ya habibi! October is Arab Heritage Month. This Sunday a celebration of Arab heritage is happening at Galería de la Raza. Back Home Right Here is an exhibit featuring more than twenty Arab artists. Program features Arabic calligraphy demonstration, visual arts, music and poetry.
“It is like your personal memory, if you didn’t remember your childhood you would be a sick person, you see, and if don’t remember your historical past you are a sick nation.”
(Etel Adnan, Lebanese American poet, essayist and artist)
Still weak-kneed from the sprawling bliss of LitCrawl? Prop up your feet and listen to Naomi Shihab Nye perform “One Boy Told Me”– a poem of sayings collected from her toddler son. Here’s the video.
“Grown-ups keep their feet on the ground
when they swing. I hate that.”
Naomi Shihab Nye is a Palestinan American poet, songwriter and novelist who has taught poetry to children for years. She writes books for people of all ages. Some of her published works include Sitti’s Secrets, Fuel, A Maze Me: Poems for Girls and young adult novel Habibi.
It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me cough goat cheese on my bow tie. Read “The Fiduciary Responsibility of School Administrators” at BeyondChron. Mission Loc@l’s Sade McDougal probes the maze of redesigning the student assignment process for San Francisco public schools. Ouch. Boston Globe investigates how the city hurts the brain and what you can do about it.
Good gravy, let’s do a wavey… A green clown with bricks is in town! The International Czech Theater Festival features cutting edge collaborative works from movement artists, clowns and directors. Also this week: dance bhangra for sangha (thank ya’). Learn how to enroll in and skip school. Make sugar skulls and cajitas for Day of the Dead. See The Nightmare Before Christmas in 3D. Meet a ghost hunter. Eat pumpkin pie and check out The View From Here, an exhibit by Mission HIgh student photographers collaborating with artist Sam Slater; their book is resonant with fresh perspective. It’s on sale at Mission Pie for ten bucks.
Upcoming events: (subject to change, please double-check times before attending)
College Without High School
Wed., Oct. 21. 7pm. Free. Modern Times Bookstore, 888 Valencia St. (between 19th & 20th St.)
We missed this one, but pick up College Without High School, a guidebook for teens who are bored or frustrated with high school and want to do something more exciting, but still want to attend a four-year college.
Polaris (The International Czech Theater Festival)
Wed., Oct. 21. 8pm. $15-$35 sliding, $50 reserved. The Marsh, 1062 Valencia St. (between 21st & 22nd St.)
Two 19th century arctic explorers test reality vs. the imagination in the unendurable cold. A rare romance about consciousness, values and the close ones. Created and performed by Vojta Svedja and Jan Benes-Gradie. Suitable for ages ten and up; please do not bring infants to show. (Approximately one hour long with no intermission.)
Albert’s Fear (The International Czech Theater Festival)
Thurs., Oct. 22. Two shows at 7pm & 9pm. $15-$35 sliding, $50 reserved. The Marsh, 1062 Valencia St. (between 21st & 22nd St.)
A celebrated one man show by noted young Czech actor Vojta Svedja examines the triumphs of a small boy over his timidity and indecisiveness. Suitable for ages ten and up; please do not bring infants to show. (Approximately one hour long with no intermission.)
Sugar Skull Decorating /After School Open Studio
Thurs., Oct. 22. 2pm-6pm. $10. Galería de la Raza, 2857 24th St. (at Bryant St.)
Learn how to make sugar skulls for Day of the Dead! You will be able to decorate sugar skulls in a traditional manner or get really creative. All materials provided. Taught by artist Michele Simons, recently featured on Mission Loc@l. www.thesugarskullgallery.com
Polaris (The International Czech Theater Festival)
Fri., Oct. 23. Two shows at 7pm and 9pm. $15-$35 sliding, $50 reserved. The Marsh, 1062 Valencia St. (between 21st & 22nd St.)
Mission Parents Healthy Family Days
Sat., Oct. 24. 11am-3pm. Free. Parque Niños Unidos, 23rd St. and Folsom St.
Spend your weekend in the Parque with friends, family, and fresh food that promote active bodies and strong community. Activities include Cooking Demo with Meghan, Art Class with Red Poppy Art House, Song and Dance en Español with Basho, Bring Your Books for the Book Exchange, Free Jump Ropes! Snacks from La Parilla and Slanted Door.
Cajitas: Miniature Day of the Dead Boxes Workshop
Sat., Oct. 24. 2pm. $30. Galería de la Raza, 2857 24th St. (at Bryant St.)
Create a memento, a shrine, a love token for the dearly departed, or just a funny vignette in a Dia de los Muertos theme! Using a small wooden box and a variety of collage materials you’ll create a fantastic treasure to take home. Included are unpainted plaster skulls, hearts and other ornamental embellishments ready for you to paint. You’ll also learn how to make lacy miniature papel picado and paper flowers. No previous art experience is necessary! Fee includes a 5×7 wooden box, and collage materials, but feel free to bring your own personal ephemera to embellish your box. Please call Galería de la Raza to reserve your spot! Class is limited to 12 participants. Children with an adult assistant are welcome to participate. The class will be conducted bilingually, in English and Spanish. Taught by artist Raul Aguilar.
Clarion Alley Mural Project 10th Annual Block Party
Sat., Oct. 24. Free. Noon-9pm. (Between 17th&18th Sts./Mission & Valencia)
New murals, live music, art, food and more.
Sugar Skull Decorating Workshop
Sat., Oct. 24. 1pm-4pm. $15. Encantada Gallery of Fine Art, 904 Valencia St. (at 20th St.)
Learn how to make sugar skulls for Dia de los Muertos! All materials provided. Taught by artist Michele Simons.
Barefoot Bhangra Party
Sat., Oct. 24. 7pm-10pm. $10-$20 donation. San Francisco Buddhist Center, 37 Bartlett St. (near 21st St.)
Bhangra everybody! Bring your friends or come alone for three hours of freestyle movement to danceable Indian music in a festive, smoke and alcohol-free environment. Dress comfortably. Baindu Coomber (Duniya Dance and Drum Company) will be leading a free beginning Bhangra dance lesson at 7:30pm. Tipu’s Tiger Chai will be selling their delicious chai-by-the-mug; all chai sales generously donated to Jai Bhim International, a non-profit organization that supports Buddhist youth projects in India, promotiing a culture free of caste discrimination.
Brick Circk (The International Czech Theater Festival)
Sat., Oct. 24. 3pm. $15-$35 sliding, $50 reserved. The Marsh, 1062 Valencia St. (between 21st & 22nd St.)
A green clown with bricks everywhere and everything for the family. This is classic European clowning from the heart of the rich Prague tradition. Created and performed by Stevo Capko, master teacher and movement theater actor at AMU, the Czech Republic’s national conservatory for the performing arts. Suitable for young children and older; please do not bring infants to the show. (Approximately one hour long with no intermission.)
Albert’s Fear (The International Czech Theater Festival)
Sat., Oct. 24. 8pm. $15-$35 sliding, $50 reserved. The Marsh, 1062 Valencia St. (between 21st & 22nd St.)
Mission Parents Healthy Family Days
Sun., Oct. 25. 11am-3pm. Free. Parque Niños Unidos, 23rd St. and Folsom St.
Spend your weekend in the Parque with friends, family, and fresh food that promote active bodies and strong community. Activities include Yoga with Tatjana, Comic Collage with Mission: Comics and Arts, Garden Project and Farm Stand, Juggling with Leonidas, Sports Basement Bike Clinic for Families, Juicing Demo and Free Soup! Watch Leonard Kassapides’ shadow theater production of “The Metamorphosis of Karaghiozis” with live music at 1pm.
Back Home Right Here: Arab Art Across Seas and Generations
Sun., Oct. 25. 3pm-7pm. Free. Galería de la Raza, 2857 24th St. (at Bryant St.)
“With our art, we assert our narratives.” In recognition of Arab Heritage Month, the Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC) and Sunbala bring together Arab visual and performance artists from around the Bay area to celebrate Arab heritage. Program events include Arabic calligraphy demonstration by Fareq Oweis, poetry and music performances by Hadeel Ramadan, Amr Toppazada, Saleh Albowyha, Dina Omar and more; emcee’d by Reem Assil. Featuring works by visual artists Alia Suad al-Ghabra, Chris Ghazaleh, Dena A. Al-Adeeb, Dunya Alwan, George Wahbeh, Haneen Hammad, Happy/L.A. Hyder, Nader Khouri,Ramsey El-Qare, Reem Jubran, Samar Nassar, Suheil Nasser, and Yara Badday. For more information: exhibit@araborganizing.org or call 415-861-7444.
Brick Circk (The International Czech Theater Festival)
Sun., Oct. 25. 3pm. $15-$35 sliding, $50 reserved. The Marsh, 1062 Valencia St. (between 21st & 22nd St.)
Sugar Skull Decorating Workshop
Sun., Oct. 25. 1pm-4pm. $15. Encantada Gallery of Fine Art, 904 Valencia St. (at 20th St.)
Learn how to make sugar skulls for Dia de los Muertos! All materials provided. Taught by artist Michele Simons.
Brick Circk (The International Czech Theater Festival)
Mon., Oct. 26. 7pm. $15-$35 sliding, $50 reserved. The Marsh, 1062 Valencia St. (between 21st & 22nd St.)
Ghost Hunting For Teens
Tues., Oct.27. 6pm-8pm. Free. Mission Branch Library, 300 Barlett St. (at 24th St.)
Ever wonder if ghosts are real? If they are, how can you tell a real ghost from a fake? Is it true that teens tend to experience poltergeists more than any other age groups? A real ghost hunter from SF Ghost Society, Tommy Netzband, will talk about his experiences investigating ghosts and hauntings. He will also show you how to use ghost hunting tools and share some ghostly images and sounds he has caught on DVD. Get the info, then you decide what to believe! www.sfghostsociety.org. For info or to register, contact Nicole T. Germain, Teen Librarian, at 355-5738 or email ntermini@sfpl.org.
What You Should Know About Middle School
Tues., Oct. 27. 6pm-8pm. Everett Middle School, 450 Church St. (at 16th St.)
Middle School Parent panel. Learn more about middle schools. Get tips and advice on key enrollment dates, information and resources. Co-sponsored by Parents for Public Schools-SF. Free event in English with Spanish translation.
Brick Circk (The International Czech Theater Festival)
Tues., Oct. 27. 7pm. $15-$35 sliding, $50 reserved. The Marsh, 1062 Valencia St. (between 21st & 22nd St.)
Coming up on Oct.30, 31 and Nov. 1… California Academy of Sciences offers free admission for Mission and Bernal Heights residents.